Press Releases
The ultimate endorsement
Sales Consultant Lynda Clarke likes the new homes she is selling so much that she bought one for herself.
Ms Clarke moved into her new apartment, converted by Thomas Homes from the redundant Park Prewett hospital buildings, a couple of weeks ago. Ms Clarke has been a Sales Consultant at the Basingstoke site since it opened last year and had no intention of moving until she fell in love with a three-bedroomed ground-floor apartment in Canadian Way.
She said: "I was quite happy with the house I was in. But you don't often get an apartment on the ground floor and with some open air space. It's always been my dream to live in something old, but with everything new, so you don't have to do anything. I love the character of my apartment with its high ceilings and sash windows."
Ms Clarke had worked in the new homes sector of the property market for the past 13 years, but this is the first time she has ever bought on a development she has been involved with. Her new home, which was on the market for £210,000, features wood-laminate flooring in the reception room and hall. The kitchen is equipped with appliances and one of the bedrooms has an en suite shower room.
Park Prewett Hospital was built between 1912 and 1914 and Thomas Homes is redeveloping eight of the Edwardian buildings, originally designed by architect GT Hine, to create 81 conversions from one-bedroomed apartments to four-bedroomed homes. Prices range from £149,950 to £279,950. Four of the Edwardian buildings have already been converted, with all units sold prior to completion. The fifth block, Huxley House, has just been released for sale off plan, and includes one and two bedroom apartments, and two and three bedroom houses.
The Thomas Homes project forms part of the larger Limes Park development, where the emphasis is on building sustainable, eco-friendly properties.
Apart from converting the original hospital buildings, Thomas Homes have almost completed building 58 new homes in two symmetrical crescents. The developer is investing £14 million on the redevelopment of the site, which includes the original Clock Tower and has applied for planning permission to convert the 120ft Water Tower, a landmark for miles around, into desirable apartments.
For more information, contact the Sales Office on 0845 60 54637. Connells is the selling agent for Thomas Homes at Limes Park.
Factfile
- The old hospital was built on Park Prewett Farm which was acquired for £30 an acre in 1899.
- Until 1965, patients worked on the farm producing vegetables, cereals and raising livestock.
- It was used by the Canadians in the First World War as a convalescent hospital between 1917 and 1919.
- It opened as a mental hospital in 1921.
- It was again used as a military hospital to treat 31,000 patients in the Second World War.
- It reverted to a mental hospital again in 1946 before closing in 1997.
- It is the first of 96 former NHS hospitals to be sold for redevelopment by English Heritage.
